I will never forget the panic I felt in late 2024. I was selling a line of silicone kitchen gadgets that had been my bread and butter for three years. Sales were steady, reviews were good, and I thought I had a moat. Then, in the span of three weeks, my conversion rate dropped by 40%.
I frantically checked my Amazon listings, thinking I had lost the Buy Box or received a bad review. Nothing. Everything looked perfect. It wasn't until my teenage niece showed me a video on her phone that I realized what had happened. A creator on TikTok was showcasing a near-identical version of my product, but she was linking to a shop I had ignored entirely: TikTok Shop. The price was $4 lower, and the video had 2 million views.
That was my wake-up call. I realized that my competition wasn't just "other Amazon sellers." It was entirely different ecosystems. In 2026, the landscape of Amazon competitors has shifted from a one-horse race to a multi-front war. If you are still treating Amazon as the only game in town, you are playing by 2020 rules.
Who Is Amazon's Biggest Competitor? (The Walmart Factor)
When people ask who is amazon's biggest competitor in the US, the answer is unequivocally Walmart. For years, Walmart was just a brick-and-mortar giant trying to figure out the internet. By 2026, they have figured it out. Walmart+ has become a legitimate alternative to Amazon Prime, largely because they leverage their 4,600 physical stores as fulfillment centers.
Here’s where it gets interesting... Amazon has to build warehouses to get closer to you. Walmart is already 5 miles from your house. This allows Walmart to dominate in one specific area: Same-Day Grocery and Essentials. If I need a charging cable and a gallon of milk, I don't order from Amazon anymore. I order from Walmart+, and a gig driver drops it off in two hours.
Honest Failure: In 2025, I tried to launch a grocery product exclusively on Amazon. The storage fees for perishables were astronomical, and Amazon's "Fresh" delivery network was still spotty in rural areas. My competitor launched on Walmart Marketplace. They used Walmart's existing cold-chain logistics and outsold me 3 to 1. Lesson: Don't fight a competitor where they are strongest. Amazon loses on fresh food.
The "Cheap" Threat: Amazon Temu Competitor
The most aggressive search term in ecommerce right now is amazon temu competitor. Temu (owned by PDD Holdings) shocked everyone by surviving the initial "fad" phase and becoming a permanent fixture in 2026. They attacked Amazon's weakest point: Price.
The Strategy: Amazon is fast (2 days). Temu is cheap (10 days). In an economy where inflation is still a concern, millions of buyers are voting with their wallets. They are willing to wait a week to save $15 on a blender.
Comparison: Amazon vs. Temu
Opinion Statement: I believe Temu has permanently damaged the "under $20" category on Amazon. If you are selling generic, unbranded plastic goods on Amazon, you are dead. You cannot compete with a factory selling directly on Temu for $3. You must pivot to branding or complex products.
The Social Shopping Revolution: TikTok Shop
If Temu is the "Dollar Store" competitor, who is amazon's competitor for attention? It is TikTok Shop. Amazon is a search engine. You go there when you know what you want ("AA batteries"). TikTok is a discovery engine. You go there to be entertained and end up buying something you didn't know existed ("Levitating plant pot").
The "In-Feed" Checkout: In 2026, TikTok's integration is seamless. You see a video, click a button, and pay via Apple Pay without ever leaving the app. Amazon tried to copy this with "Amazon Inspire" (their feed of shoppable photos), but it felt forced. TikTok is authentic. Amazon is transactional.
How Closo Predicts Demand in 6 Weeks Ahead
This multi-platform war makes inventory management a nightmare. How do you know if your product is about to blow up on TikTok or get undercut on Temu? You can't just look at Amazon sales history anymore.
I use Closo to aggregate these external signals. Specifically, How Closo predicts demand in 6 weeks ahead is by analyzing social sentiment and search trends off of Amazon.
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The Signal: Closo notices a rising trend for "Weighted Stuffed Animals" on Pinterest and TikTok.
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The Prediction: It predicts this trend will hit Amazon search bars in roughly 4-6 weeks as the viral videos saturate.
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My Move: I order inventory before the Amazon keyword volume spikes.
I use Closo to automate my trend forecasting – saves me about 3 hours weekly of scrolling through social media feeds.
The "Anti-Amazon": Shopify and DTC
We cannot talk about amazon's competitors without mentioning the silent giant: Shopify. Shopify isn't a marketplace; it is the platform that powers the resistance. Brands like Gymshark or Kylie Cosmetics use Shopify to own their customer data.
Why this matters to you: On Amazon, the customer belongs to Amazon. You don't get their email. You can't retarget them. On Shopify, you own the relationship. Opinion Statement: I tell every new seller: Amazon is for cash flow, Shopify is for asset building. If you build a $10M business on Amazon, you are one suspension away from zero. If you build it on Shopify, you own an asset you can sell.
How to Find Competitors Keywords on Amazon
If you decide to stay and fight on Amazon, you need to know how to find competitors keywords on amazon. You can't just guess what keywords are driving their sales. You need to spy on them.
The "Reverse ASIN" Method:
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Identify the Leader: Find the #1 bestseller in your niche.
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Copy the ASIN: This is the 10-digit code in the URL.
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Use a Tool: Plug that ASIN into a tool like Helium 10 (Cerebro) or Jungle Scout.
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Filter: Look for keywords where they rank in the Top 10 organically.
Now the tricky part... Don't just copy their keywords. If they are ranking for "Running Shoes," and they are Nike, you will not beat them. Look for the "Opportunity Keywords"—the ones where they rank on Page 2. Those are the cracks in their armor where you can attack.
Websites Similar to Amazon (The Niche Players)
When people search for sites like amazon, they are often looking for specific categories where Amazon is weak.
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Etsy: The undisputed king of "Handmade" and "Personalized." Amazon "Handmade" tried to kill Etsy and failed. People want the story behind the product, not just the product.
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Wayfair: Dominates furniture because their search filters ("Mid-Century Modern," "Beige," "Sectional") are vastly superior to Amazon's clunky interface.
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Chewy: People trust Chewy with their pets more than Amazon. Their customer service (sending flowers when a pet dies) creates loyalty Amazon can't match with algorithms.
Anecdote: I bought a couch on Amazon once. It arrived in a damaged box, and the return process required me to somehow repackage a sofa. I bought my next couch on Wayfair. The delivery team carried it into my living room. For bulky items, specialized competitors still win.
Diversifying with Closo Demand Signals
The danger of 2026 is relying on a single channel. If Temu undercuts you and TikTok distracts your buyers, you need to be everywhere. I use Closo Demand Signals to decide where to list my products.
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Scenario: Closo shows high demand for my product on Google Shopping but low demand on Amazon.
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Action: This tells me customers are researching, not just buying. I should focus on my Shopify SEO and Google Ads rather than Amazon PPC.
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Result: I shift my budget and capture the customer before they even get to Amazon.
Who Is Amazon's Competitor in Cloud Computing?
We mostly talk about retail, but who is amazon's competitor on the corporate side? It is Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is actually where Amazon makes most of its profit. Retail is a low-margin game (often 2-3%). Cloud computing is a high-margin game (30%+). This matters to sellers because AWS profits subsidize the shipping network. If AWS takes a hit from Microsoft, Amazon might raise seller fees to compensate.
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Is AliExpress still a competitor?
Not really. AliExpress is the "old" version of Temu. Temu improved the logistics and gamified the app. Most consumers who used to buy from AliExpress have migrated to Temu or Shein for faster shipping and better interfaces. AliExpress is now mostly used by dropshippers sourcing products, not consumers buying them.
Common question I see... Who is the "Amazon of Europe"?
It varies by country, but Otto (Germany) and Allegro (Poland) are massive. In the UK, Tesco and Sainsbury's compete on grocery, but Amazon dominates general retail. If you are expanding globally, don't assume Amazon is the leader everywhere. In Latin America, Mercado Libre is bigger than Amazon.
People always ask me... Will Amazon ever buy TikTok?
No. Antitrust regulators would never allow it. The FTC is already watching Amazon like a hawk. If anything, we might see a partnership where Amazon fulfills orders for TikTok (which they are already testing), becoming the "logistics layer" for their competitor.
Conclusion
The era of Amazon's monopoly is effectively over. While they are still the biggest player, they are no longer the onlyplayer. Amazon competitors like Walmart, Temu, and TikTok have carved out massive territories by doing things Amazon can't: being physically local, insanely cheap, or culturally viral.
My honest assessment is that you should use Amazon for its logistics (FBA) but build your brand on channels where you can actually talk to your customers. Don't be a tenant; be a landlord.
If you are ready to stop reacting to competitors and start predicting their moves, use the Closo Seller Hub to forecast demand across all platforms.
For more on how to use software to spy on these rivals, read our Amazon Tools 2026 Guide
And if you want to know which products are trending on these competing platforms, check out Trending Products Forecast 2026
